# Diddle Diddle Dumpling

"Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John" is an English nursery rhyme in print since the 1740s about a boy who goes to bed still half-dressed — one sock off and one sock on; it may come from a dumpling-seller's street cry.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | in print c. 1744 |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/diddle-diddle-dumpling/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John,
Went to bed with his breeches on;
One sock off, and one sock on,
Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John.

## Common questions

**What is the rhyme about?**

A boy too sleepy (or too silly) to undress properly. "My son John" goes to bed with his trousers still on and just one sock off — one sock off and one sock on — a small, funny picture of a child flopping into bed half-dressed.

**How old is "Diddle Diddle Dumpling"?**

It is an old English nursery rhyme, in print by about 1744 in "Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book" and again in "The Newest Christmas Box" around 1797. It carries the Roud Folk Song Index number 19709.

**What does "diddle diddle dumpling" mean?**

It may come from a street cry. Sellers of hot dumplings once called out "diddle, diddle, dumpling" through the streets, and the rhyme may have grown from that — though it is unclear whether the cry or the rhyme came first.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diddle,_Diddle,_Dumpling,_My_Son_John)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5274095